BEPIC Black Experiences with Planning in Canada

The Black Experiences with Planning in Canada (BEPIC) partnership seeks to learn from the lived experiences of Black communities and planners in order to explore how planning can play a role in creating more equitable outcomes for Black communities, but also for diverse publics more broadly.

BEPIC is conceptualized by BPP with community and academic partners in the fields of planning, community building, and Black studies, all of whom are committed to racial and spatial justice.

Building on the work already led by Black individuals, community organizations, planners, and other practitioners, BEPIC aims to help strengthen the capacity to remove barriers and advance equitable planning practices when working with Black populations.

Our Main Goals

To explore and document the experiences of Black communities and practitioners with/in/against planning in Canada;

To create a framework for community-based, Black-centered, Black-informed planning practices; and

To test the framework with Black individuals, community organizations, and planners working with predominantly or historically Black communities.

Ultimately, BEPIC will propose tools grounded in Black knowledge and traditions, which can be adopted by Black communities and planners to preserve and strengthen Black contributions to planning, community-building, and city-making.

Project Phases

Year 1

Design and plan research activities
Conduct literature review about Black planning
Coordinate with research team and community partners

Year 2

Gather data in three cities (Halifax, Toronto, Montreal)
Analyze interview, focus group, and survey data
Develop case studies

Year 3

Build framework for community-based, Black-led, Black-informed planning practices
Conduct workshops with community and planners to test framework

By building on the knowledge of Black communities and planners, this research will help challenge dominant planning discourses, address questions of Black exclusion and anti-Black racism in planning, amplify community-led planning practices, promote racial equity and justice, and inform planning pedagogy and the training of future planners, especially emerging Black planners.

Share Your Experience.

Are you a planner working in or with Black communities? We want to hear from you.

Team

Abigail Mariah

Co-Director

Dr. Andrea Roberts

Steering Committee Member

Jodie Laborde

Research Assistant

Dr. Magdalena Ugarte

Co-Director

Dr. Sheryl-Ann Simpson

Steering Committee Member

Stephanie Pondamali

Research Assistant

Hanaa Ali

Research Project Manager

Dr. Ren Thomas

Steering Committee Member

James Rhule

Research Assistant (Former)

Simone Weir

Community Coordinator

Dr. Leela Viswanathan

Project Advisor

Sonelle Crawford

Research Manager

Dr. Beverley Mullings

Steering Committee Member